AgroClimatology
Understanding regional connections between climate and agriculture
Eddies in the Mediterranean Sea
The ocean regulates the long-term climate conditions due to its long-term memory. The mass and heat capacity of this vast body of water are such that the current ocean state continues to impact the climate system for years. Therefore, our ability to predict the atmosphere’s future evolution at time scales longer than weather forecasts (>10days) highly depends on understanding processes controlling ocean circulation. It is well established that surface winds drive large-scale ocean circulation and that the atmosphere responds to large-scale ocean circulation through the sea surface temperature. However, the sea surface is organized in small-scale features known as mesoscale eddies and submesoscale current. The shapes of these features range from coherent vortices to strong currents and filaments. Like the global ocean, the Mediterranean Sea is composed of small-scale features. Evidence from recent years suggests that small-scale ocean features affect the atmospheric circulation in different regions worldwide. I study how small-scale sea features affect the climate in the Mediterranean Sea.
Understanding how long-term ocean processes affect regional climate
Crop-climate Interactions
Understanding the regional interactions between crop and climate
Crop models coupled with climate models allow us to understand their inherent interactions better, particularly under changing climate conditions. While it is well-known that climate conditions affect crop yield, the impact of widespread agriculture on the environment on the regional scale is still not clear. Coupled crop-climate models also have the potential to improve seasonal predictions of crop yield and to provide farmers with information about the optimal choice of crop for the next season, sowing time, and crop prospects. Also, it can be used to give information on the optimal space allocation for crops.
